APCOM unveils new logo to mark 15 years of working in the Asia Pacific region on HIV, health, rights and wellbeing of people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, expression and sex characteristics. APCOM activities will be marked by this new vibrant and celebratory branding, working for and with LGBTQI communities for equity, dignity and social justice.
“As the new Chair of APCOM, it is such an exciting milestone to celebrate our contribution to the global HIV/AIDS response and advancing LGBTQI human rights as we’re developing our new strategy. We have to double our efforts to call on equity, dignity, and social justice for marginalised communities. We note in particular the worrying trend in the decline in investments going into communities who are dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, the HIV epidemic, closing civil society spaces and human rights issues,”
said Bryan Choong, APCOM Regional Advisory Group Chair.
APCOM was officially founded in August 2007 at the 8th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Colombo, Sri Lanka. APCOM Founder and Chair, Shivananda Khan OBE, who sadly passed away in 2013, was an internationally recognized leader who advocated tirelessly in developing HIV services for men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender communities throughout Asia and the Pacific region. He reinforced the importance of human rights, stressed the need for making changes in laws and policies and advocated for bringing people together around social justice, including governments, the UN system, donors and civil society.
APCOM pursues his legacy to ensure that empowered communities are able to continue working towards social change.
So congratulations APCOM for the Asia Pacific region, and all the best for the future bearing in mind your great value added; importance of great leadership, importance of great team work, great reaching with stakeholders and outreach which you do very well, and you can do even more for the future.
Professor Emeritus Vitit Muntarbhorn
